


Put Out The Fire

by TDD



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Clexa, F/F, Fire Powers, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Superpowers, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-25 18:36:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10770051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDD/pseuds/TDD
Summary: Lexa is the princess of the 13 clans. She works endlessly, training and preparing herself to one day take up the mantle of Heda. The coalition is to be her domain. Lexa cares about all the clans and all the people in them.Within the 13 clans resides a very small community of special individuals. These individuals have extraordinary abilities. Their powers often involve controlling the elements at will. They are called conduits. In fear of being taken advantage of, these conduits tend to keep their powers to themselves.Amidst her life of being a conduit, Clarke finds herself falling in love with the princess of the 13 clans. Being a conduit comes with many complex fears. Clarke decides that one way to assuage these fears is to confide in Lexa about her secret.Clarke and Lexa must not only confront the fears that reside internally, but also the threat of a new enemy, the Mountain Men.





	1. “You need a hobby, Lex.”

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer, Costia is just a friend. I think she's pretty cool tbh and she's only mentioned for humor (right now). Y'all can chill.  
> I'm writing this because I need a break from my other story, Dynamite. It's too angsty even for me (haha) and I don't know if it's any good.  
> But I like this story. Hope you like it too.  
> This story was inspired by the Infamous video games. Clarke's powers are like Delsin's from Infamous: Second Son. I also used their word 'conduit' for the fic.

Lexa tightened and closed the last belt on her dark brown leather boot. She sat perched on the edge of her bed, on the highest floor of the Royal Tower. She reached down and rubbed out a speck of dirt on the tip of the shoe. Satisfied that it was gone, she stood and walked to her vanity. A light leather jacket hung on the back of the chair. 

As she was pulling the jacket on over her riding outfit, she heard a knock at her door.

“Enter.”

The large heavy brown door, so dark that it was almost black, opened. One of Lexa’s handmaidens walked into the room, carrying a suede rolled bundle in her hands.

“Your blacksmith sent the weapons that you needed repairing, Your Highness.”

“Bring them here.”

The handmaiden carried the bundle to the vanity, placing it on the surface.

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Your Highness.”

Lexa untied the string which held the bundle together. Then she carefully unfolded the wrapping to reveal the contents inside.

Lexa was expecting two knives but instead, she found three. She picked up the narrow and light stiletto knife first. She pressed the button on the side and the blade sprung out. She tilted it this way and that, inspecting it. The blacksmith had done a good job. It looked brand new and when Lexa folded the switchblade closed, it slid back into place smoothly.

Lexa’s favorite knife as a child had been this blade. She loved how with the press of a button, the object transformed. Other switchblades had things like bottle openers or sawblades. Little Lexa had found much amusement from treating her switchblade like a toy but quickly was taught that knives were not things to play with.

She picked up the commando knife next. She had only been in one battle in her life so far but this blade had been strapped to her thigh throughout the whole experience. Lexa unsheathed it and felt the weight of it in her hand. It was a strong, sturdy, and reliable knife.

Until the day the blade chipped and Lexa sent it to be repaired. She needn’t test the sharpness of it, trusting that her blacksmith hadn’t snuffed up the job.

The last blade was one that Lexa hadn’t seen before. Still in its sheath, Lexa could only see the handle. It was a fatter handle made of smooth polished wood. The tip of the handle was rounded. Besides the natural grooving patterns on the surface, the handle was plain. Lexa removed the knife from the sheath which was also expertly crafted and looked at the blade for the first time. It wasn’t what she had been expecting.

The blade was small. Very small. It was nothing that she could do serious damage with in a fight. It very light in her hand, even lighter than her stiletto knife. Lexa was wondering why her blacksmith had sent her this. She was concluding that it was more likely that they had made a mistake and sent her someone else’s knife when it hit her what kind of knife this was.

It wasn’t a weapon at all.

It was a whittling knife.

Only then did Lexa notice the rolled-up message peeking out of the sheath. She placed the whittling knife down and quickly unrolled the paper to read the message.

_Meet me at 12._

_Go to the river and follow the markings downstream._

_You’ll know them when you see them._

_Hope you’re hungry._

_…Wait, that sounded wrong._

_I didn’t mean it like that._

_But we could do that too._

_Just meet me at 12._

_\- Your Idiot Blacksmith_

The usually stoic princess couldn’t resist the upturn of her lips. Had she been alone, she would have laughed. Tucking the note into her pocket, she turned to her handmaiden, who was making the bed neat and tidy.

“Jaya, let Anya know that our archery and riding lesson will have to be postponed. I have decided to leave the tower grounds and make a day for myself.”

 Jaya straightened from where she was tugging the fur duvet over one of the bed corners. “Postponed? What about your meeting with the Trikru ambassador this afternoon?”

“Anya will be fine and the ambassador will have to wait. I’ll treat the ambassador to dinner instead. It would be rude not to give the blacksmith my gratitude for a job well done.”

Lexa returned the knives to their sheaths and placed them on the wrapping. She folded the bundle closed again and retied the string.

“Have these put with my other knives.”

“At once, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Jaya.”

With one last look at the bundle, thinking of the blacksmith who crafted it, Lexa buttoned her jacket closed and left her room.

Had her meeting been with someone else, for instance, the Ice Nation ambassador, Lexa knew that she wouldn’t have been able to just change their plans all willy- nilly. But the Trikru ambassador, Costia, was a trusted friend and confidant, politically and personally. Lexa’s family were originally Trikru after all, and her father’s ascension only strengthened Trikru as a clan, not the other way around.

He was only 15 when the Spirit chose him to ascend as Commander. When Lexa was born also with blood of the night it became her birthright to one day lead in his place as the Commander herself.

To be Heda was hard and she knew she couldn’t just skirt off her responsibilities whenever she felt like it. But she could ride a horse and she could shoot an arrow better than almost anyone at this point. One cancelled lesson with her mentor wouldn’t change that. It would make her mentor angry, though.

Expecting an earful from Anya later, Lexa pulled her hood up as she left the Royal Tower grounds to escape the city. She had told her guards to stay in the tower until she returned and as much as they didn’t want to sometimes, they had to do what she said.

=•==•==•===•====•                   

Lexa got to the riverside and glanced at the surroundings. She started walking downstream, eyes on the trees and the ground, looking for the markings that were supposed to be somewhere.

Understanding hit her when she spotted a splotch of pink paint on a tree trunk by the riverside. She walked up to it and lightly touched it with a finger. The paint was still wet meaning that it had been applied recently.

She followed the markings downstream. At first, she didn’t know why she had to follow the markings when she could just follow the river. Until gradually, the markings started to appear deeper and deeper in the woods. It seemed that her blacksmith was full of mysteries today. Lexa walked into the line of trees under the cover of the forest canopy.

The markings led her to a cave. The same pink colored paint was smeared at the cave entrance, beckoning Lexa forward.

Everything that she had been taught willed her to be suspicious. This could all be an elaborate trap. She started to wish that maybe she had brought at least one guard with her. Lexa could fight and she could fight well but she was only human. The 13 clans lived in a time of relative peace but there were other clans besides Trikru that had nightbloods too and would kill to see one of their own ascend.

Lexa unsheathed the sword at her hip. She would only use it when threatened or attacked. With silent footsteps, she entered the cave.

The cave led her downwards. What was this strange place? The path led her down and around. When she neared the end of the curve, a sound made her freeze stock- still.

It was a quiet vocal hum and then…

_“So, this is love, hmm._

_So, this is what makes life divine._

_I'm all aglow, hmm._

_And now I know._

_The key to all heaven is mine.”_

Butterflies erupted in Lexa’s stomach. They fluttered all the way up her spine to her heart and helped it beat with the flapping of their wings.

She held her sword up, checking her reflection in the metal. She ran a hand through her hair. Satisfied with her appearance, she sheathed the sword and with a hand on the wall turned the last corner of the path.

The path had led her to an open underground space. Large, deep cracks from above let sunlight in. The light shimmered on the water which Lexa had been surprised to see. There seemed to be a pool in the cave in front of her. The pool opened in two places, the stream coming in and going out. The water in this cave was just an intermediate section of a much longer flowing body of water. A canoe floated in this water, tied to the cave with a rope.

The reflections from the water rippled across the cave walls, creating a wondrous natural light show. The beautiful singing continued from the blonde who sat perched on the cave floor just at the water’s edge.

Lexa slumped against the cave wall, content to just savor the harmonies coming from the singer. The cave offered wonderful acoustics. Her voice bounced off the wall to the ceiling to the surface of the water. It reverberated throughout the space before echoing down the stream, the sound thinning out the further it went.

The blonde finished her song and stopped humming. As if knowing that Lexa had been there the whole time, she turned her head and smiled.

“Hey there. Are you lost?”

Lexa straightened from the wall and took a few steps forward. “Actually, yes. If you could help me, I’m looking for an idiot blacksmith.”

The blonde stood up. “I am an idiot blacksmith but unlucky for you I’m a taken idiot blacksmith.” She ambled over to Lexa, slinking her hands up Lexa’s arms and then around the back of her neck.

“Oh? Who’s the lucky lady?” Lexa tried to keep her eyes on the blonde’s but they wandered south on their own accord.

“Oh, you know… Just a princess who spends far too much time cooped up in that tower of hers.”

Lexa raised her eyebrows. “It could be that if the Princess were to leave for too long, the people in the tower would miss her sorely.” She pinched the blonde’s hips. “And they would worry and get sick from worry and no one would know where the princess put the trade agreements so the trade would collapse and the clans would starve and then those clans would erupt into chaos which would lead to the apocalypse and everyone would die.”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “The lucky lady also has a knack for being overdramatic.”

“It’s the truth. There’s no one who could do my job better than me.” Lexa dropped the third person.

“She’s modest too.”

The blonde pulled Lexa in and they met for a kiss. Lexa inhaled the other girl’s scent, finally once again breathing the same air as her. A shudder rippled up Lexa’s back to her neck and it tremored across her lips. She pressed down more on the blonde’s lower lip, assuaging whatever feeling just overcame her.

Lexa moved her head back, their lips coming apart with a soft sound.

“I missed you, Clarke.”

They didn’t see each other enough. It was rare for Lexa to have an easy day like today. It was even rarer for her to be able to take time for herself. Lexa had to appease the people and their needs. She had to appease the Commander and his orders. All of Lexa’s work was suited to prepare her for when she would ascend the throne.

Clarke and Lexa had only met because she had gone to Clarke’s shop in Polis with a custom order. She had wanted a dagger made for Anya’s birthday. The tools that Clarke made were works of art. The dagger that Clarke delivered had been so well crafted and so unique while still maintaining Lexa’s requirements that she just had to go back and get herself one. And then she went back again. And again. And again.

Clarke replied, “I was afraid you weren’t going to come.”

“I might not have but it wouldn’t have been because of you.”

Clarke searched her eyes. “You’re so…”

“What?” Lexa searched hers right back.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“I don’t know. Big? You’re so important.”

Lexa knew what Clarke was trying to say.

There was never an end to the stack of papers on Lexa’s desk. There was always someone who needed to see her about something.

“I had to postpone lessons with my mentor and a meeting with a Trikru ambassador today.”

Clarke removed her hands from Lexa’s neck and scoffed loudly. “You see that Trikru ambassador every other week. What was her name again? Cosa? Cota?” Clarke waved her arms around as she walked back to the water’s edge.

Lexa laughed at Clarke’s affronted nature. She followed after her. “Her name is Costia and she’s very nice.”

Clarke made a face. “I’m sure she is.” There was no real contempt to Clarke's words, just playful banter. Lexa knew that Clarke was only kidding. And Clarke knew that she had Lexa wrapped around her finger, ever the faithful one. 

Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke from behind, resting her chin on Clarke’s shoulder. “Now, now. There’s no reason to be jealous.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. “If I had known that you meet with clan ambassadors so often, I would have volunteered to be one. Do you think the Skaikru ambassador would let me take over for him?”

Lexa kissed Clarke’s neck, enjoying the warmth of her skin. “I don’t think Kane would like being out of a job.”

“He wouldn’t be out of a job. We would switch.”

Lexa laughed. “Oh, so Kane would become my idiot blacksmith?”

Clarke turned in Lexa’s arms. “ _I’ll_ always be your idiot blacksmith.”

Clarke pecked her on the lips.

“Come on, we have a canoe.” Clarke moved out of Lexa’s embrace and put one foot in the vessel.

“I can see that.”

“I’m taking you for a ride.” Clarke lifted one of the paddles and tossed it to Lexa who caught it without breaking eye contact with Clarke.

“I thought you hate water.”

“That’s why we’re _on_ the water, not _in_ the water.” Clarke carefully balanced herself with her arms against the sides of the canoe and put the other foot in. “As long as we don’t tip over...”

Lexa smirked. She got in the canoe in front of Clarke but before she sat down she pretended to lose her balance.

“ _Whoaaa!”_ She swayed her body to the left, catching herself on the side of the canoe. With her weight and her momentum, the whole vessel rocked to one side, teetering, before rocking back.

Clarke had braced herself with both arms and let out a sigh of relief. When Lexa turned her head to her and she saw Lexa’s grin, her jaw dropped and she pointed an accusatory finger.

“You did that on purpose!”

Lexa laughed as she sat down and untied the string that connected the canoe to the cave and suddenly they were untethered.

The canoe floated freely in the pool. Lexa sat in front, at the bow. This was a position more for power. Clarke sat at the stern, the rear, which was more for steering. It made sense this way since Lexa didn’t know these waters or where they were even going.

The current carried them forward slowly. They dipped their paddles into the water.

“So, where are we going?”

“We’re going to explore these underground tunnels.”

“Wait…” Lexa paused, something dawning on her. “Is this a date?”

She heard Clarke chuckle behind her.

“You make it sound like the craziest thing in the world. Yes, Lexa. This is a date.”

She was being taken on a date. She had never called outings with Clarke a date before. Had she been going on dates all this time? The times when she snuck away to pick apples with Clarke, or when she invited Clarke to go riding with her- those hadn’t seemed to her like dates. They seemed more like exceptions. She was always told that she didn’t have time for dates. She barely had time for Clarke, how could she have time for dates?

Lexa kept paddling the water. The canoe was moving forward on a windy path. Clarke steered them clear of the cave walls. The water reflected on and lapped against the stone. It was a dazzling adventure.

It made sense. Dating was something that lovers did. And Lexa considered Clarke her lover. She wasn’t interested in anyone else. She didn’t have time for anyone else. She wasn’t interested in _making_ time for anyone else.

“Lexa, I can hear you thinking from here. What’s up?”

Lexa put the paddle in her lap and turned in her seat.

“We are lovers, correct?”

Clarke smirked at the term, _lovers_. The Skaikru didn’t use words like that as frequently as the other clans did.

“Yeah, Lexa. We’re _lovers.”_ Clarke rolled her tongue around the word in a playful way.

“And I’m your only lover, correct?” Lexa ignored the joking way that Clarke was behaving.

Clarke raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, we’ve established this.”

Lexa nodded. “Good.”

“Good?” Clarke smirked.

“Anyone else would have to answer to me, their Royal Highness.”

Clarke shook her head. “I don’t know anyone that would _want_ to compete with you.” Not just in the romantic sense either. It was believed throughout the land that Lexa was a fierce fighter.

Lexa had considered asking Clarke before if she wanted them to be more official. She could come live with Lexa in the tower. Lexa could find Clarke a workshop on royal grounds. But Lexa feared and expected Clarke to say no to this. One day, Clarke was going to get tired of waiting for Lexa to find time in her schedule for her. She deserved someone who didn’t have such a large duty. Lexa didn’t think that a relationship with Clarke could be grown and nurtured like it should be. It made her very sad and she often wished that duty and love could unite when it was in their nature to repel.

But for as long as Clarke wanted to see her, Lexa would try to make more of these dates possible.

They conversed, Lexa talking about the children that she taught in the tower. Clarke listened intently, having heard of these children before. There was something about Lexa with children that warmed her heart. Lexa cared for all her people, young and old. But she had a special care for these children. The Commander had gathered a group of talented children who would all grow up to be skilled warriors one day, for Lexa to teach. It was a part of Lexa’s own training, of course. Lexa had valuable knowledge to pass on but through actively teaching, she learned many things as well.

“Were we to go to war, would these kids have to fight?” Clarke asked and her voice echoed inside the water tunnel.

“No Clarke, the Commander would never send children to their deaths.”

Clarke paused, thinking of the implication of war. “Only we would get sent to our deaths.”

Lexa sensed fear in Clarke’s voice and she tried to soothe her. “I would have to fight Clarke, but I think you would be very valuable as a blacksmith. You wouldn’t have to step foot on a battlefield as a warrior.”

Only Lexa was wrong. There was one secret that Clarke hadn’t told her yet.

Clarke was one of the rare conduits. These were people which had elemental, nature-like abilities. Superpowers, if you will. The most common powers were fire and water powers but there were also conduits who could control plants, earth, and air. The conduit community was small and they all downplayed their abilities in fear of being taken advantage of. Clarke knew people who could conjure up gigantic waves but had told everyone else that they could only control a puddle sized amount.

It was the law that the conduits be left alone except during war time. When food was scarce, plant conduits were called upon to help the crop. When minerals were needed, earth conduits were called to help in the mines.

But some conduits were required to go to the front lines. These were conduits who weren’t just a resource and an aid but also a weapon. It was for this reason among others, that conduits downplayed their strength. No one wanted to have to kill someone with their powers.

Clarke was a fire and heat conduit. It was no coincidence that she was a blacksmith. Many conduits used their power in their profession but kept it a secret like Clarke did. Some conduits never used their powers at all. It was controversial, to say the least. Some people believed that conduits should be required to use their powers for the greater good of the clans at all times. When the harvest was particularly bad, the earth, water, and plant conduits were the first ones blamed. Why hadn’t they helped the crop? Why hadn’t they volunteered? Some conduits didn’t want that kind of responsibility. The greatest fear of the conduits was that they would become slaves to the people because of their abilities. Everyone, conduit or not, deserved to have the right to choose.

The conduits had learned to hide it well. They were required by law to be registered in case of war but the names were never allowed to be revealed to the public. The only person who knew the names was the Commander.

These days you never knew who was a conduit and who wasn’t. You could live next to someone for years and not know.

You could be sharing a canoe with a conduit and not know.

“It was only 50 years ago that the law which decreed conduit children necessary on the battlefield during war was overturned,” stated Clarke.

“Yes, that’s true. It’s crazy to think that it wasn’t that long ago.”

Clarke was going to tell her today. It was a secret that not a lot of people knew but Clarke trusted Lexa. If it ever came to war, Lexa would find out then anyway. Clarke preferred that it came from her with honesty.

“Oh, Clarke?” Lexa asked suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for repairing my knives. You did a wonderful job as always.”

Clarke bowed her head bashfully. She always enjoyed praise for her work but hearing it come from Lexa made her especially happy.

“My pleasure, Your Highness.”

Lexa liked to think that Clarke worked for her because she wanted to, not because she had to. And technically, she did have to. Lexa was royalty after all. But Lexa knew that Clarke didn’t appreciate her for being the princess but rather appreciated her for who she was.

When Clarke called her ‘Your Highness’, which was rarely, it was out of play, not servitude.

“There was a third knife in there that I hadn’t ordered.”

“I know. It was a whittling knife.”

“Why did you put it there?” Lexa asked confused.

“For you to whittle with, of course.”

“Why would I whittle?”

“You need a hobby, Lex.”

“I have many hobbies, Clarke. I ride, I train, I spar.”

Lexa couldn’t see Clarke roll her eyes. “You know how to do those things in order to serve your people. You don’t do anything for only yourself, though. You should have an outlet to express yourself.”

“So, you decided that I should whittle?”

“It’s just something to try. I figured it might be nice with your affinity for knives. Your inner artist is repressed.

“Take this canoe for instance.” Clarke patted it on the side. “Someone made this with their _bare hands_ , Lexa.”

“I imagine it was a lot of hard work.”

“It’s therapeutic, that’s what it is.”

That gave Lexa pause. Had she ever made something with her hands before? She had shot many arrows, strung many bows, polished many swords, and unrolled many maps. She hadn’t _created_ something in a very long time.

“I hear what you’re saying and you make many convincing points.”

“So, you’ll try it?”

“Yes, I’ll try it.”

Clarke smiled to herself.

Clarke Griffin: 1

Lexa kom Trikru: 0

 

The tunnel path gradually got steeper and steeper until Clarke and Lexa didn’t have to paddle anymore. They just had to steer clear of the jagged cave walls.

“ _Woohoo!”_

Cries of jubilation bounced around the walls as the current picked up and their canoe rocketed forward in the water. The stream carried them with high acceleration down the tunnel. Their hair was blown back and the vessel cut through the water with speed.

“Hold on!”

The canoe tipped forward over the edge of a small waterfall. Less than a meter high, Clarke and Lexa didn’t have to fall very far. Their breath still hitched and their heartbeats still skipped in the moment of freefall. The canoe landed front end first with a splash of cold water. The bow passenger wiped her face, shaking off the impact of the cold wet splash.

Clarke snickered and laughed behind her.

The canoe continued its journey, streamlining through the water, leaving the waterfall behind.

=•==•==•===•====•                   

The water emptied out of the cave tunnels through a hole. Now floating on a river outdoors, they continued to row downstream. Clarke steered them the way which they were supposed to go when they encountered a fork in the river.

They continued to follow the water and Lexa noticed that the river gradually got shallower and thinner. Eventually, a house situated next to the body of water came into view. Clarke and Lexa stopped the canoe here and pulled it ashore.

“What is this place?”

“My friend’s house. Isn’t it nice?”

“It is.”

The land was well forested. It was Trikru territory. The house resembled something like a cabin. Together, they dragged the vessel to the house and leaned it against the side.

“The canoe belongs to the people who live here. They let me stay here when they’re away.”

“Do you stay here often?”

“Because of work, I can’t. But at the end of each season, I take a few days off.” Clarke peered at the view. Tall snowcapped mountains were in the distance. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.  

Clarke dragged Lexa into the house by her hand.

The door closed behind them and Clarke led her through a living area to a kitchen.

In there, Clarke pulled out a few sack bags from the cupboards. She reached into the bags pulling out dry meats, spices, fruits, and herbs. She also had cheeses, bread, and pastries. There was a well outside to get water from. They had everything they needed for a nice picnic.

With the canoe, the house and all the food, Lexa realized that Clarke had been planning this for quite a while. Clarke gathered everything up in a picnic blanket and they returned to the outside to sit at the riverside. They arranged all the food on the blanket before sitting down for a nice meal next to the water.

“This is what you meant by ‘I hope you’re hungry’,” said Lexa as she picked up some bread and meat.

“I wouldn’t make you do all that exercise without feeding you after,” replied Clarke.

“You have an unusual aversion to exercise, Clarke.”

“At least you know that if you see me running it means that something is coming and you should probably be running away too.” Lexa and Clarke chuckled.

Lexa wondered why Clarke had gone through all this effort.

She…

She wasn’t going to propose, was she?

Or she had bad news. She was going away. No, she was sick. Terminally. The food was meant to soften the blow.

Lexa shook her head at her own crazy conclusions. Clarke was right. She was overdramatic.

She couldn’t shake the feeling, though.

The food on the blanket gradually disappeared leaving crumbs in their wake. Lexa was slowly overriding whatever suspicion she had felt earlier. Clarke was acting as normal as ever, rambling about the need to get electricity to more people or Raven’s insistence on building more radio towers. She moved on to complaining about her mother complaining that she needed to be home more often, instead of being in Polis. Yes, everything seemed to be normal and fine to Lexa. She was almost willing to let it go until she opened the box of pastries that she had saved for last.

Her hand froze on the open lid and she stared.

They were crème puffs.

It was a box _full_ of crème puffs.

Crème puffs were her favorite and Clarke knew that.

It was bad news. Clarke must be dying. Or she was breaking up with her. Or _God_ , what if it was both?

“- I know she means well but Polis is practically my home now. I feel like I don’t have a place in Arkadia. Not since my dad died-"

Lexa reached forward across the space between them and placed the back of her hand on Clarke’s forehead.

“Lexa?”

“Are you sick? Are you unwell?”

Clarke took her hand. “No? What makes you think that I’m sick?”

“You’re not breaking up with me, right? If you are I understand but wow, is that my heart that’s hurting like that-"

“Lexa!” Clarke snapped Lexa back to attention, ending her tirade. “What’s up with you?”

Lexa lifted the box in one hand. “Crème puffs, Clarke. Why did you bring so many crème puffs?”

“Because you like crème puffs?” Clarke’s voice was small and confused.

“There’s no bad news that you want to tell me?”

“Why would I have bad news?”

“Because-" Lexa gestured around them. “All of this. The picnic. The canoeing. The house. The crème puffs. You’re softening the blow for something very bad.”

Clarke sighed. She broke eye contact with Lexa.

“So, you figured me out.”

Lexa gulped.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s. No, _cancer_. No, she needed a transplant.

“You can have a kidney from me if you need it,” blurted Lexa.

“What?”

“I’m saying if you need a kidney-"

“No, Lexa, I don’t need a kidney. I’m not sick or anything.”

Lexa breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Well, what is it then?”

“It’s not bad news. It’s just a secret. A pretty massive, giant secret.”

There was a pregnant pause. Lexa waited in anticipation. Her body felt taut, about to snap in two.

“Maybe I should just show you,” said Clarke.

Clarke reached into a bag that she brought outside with them and pulled out a candle.

She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.

At the tip of her thumb sprung a flame.

Lexa’s eyes widened.

Clarke put her thumb with the flame to the wick. Then she passed the lit candle to Lexa.

Lexa held it. The flame that danced on the wick reflected in her pupils.

The flame that had come from the tip of _Clarke’s_ _thumb_.

“Not a lot of people know.”

“You’re a conduit.”

“Yes.”

Her body finally snapped and gave. The candle rolled out of her hand as she slumped backwards onto the blanket beneath her.

Clarke caught the candle and extinguished the flame by pinching the wick with her fingers.

This was a pretty serious reaction. Lexa, lover of candles, just dropped and discarded a perfectly good candle. And it was scented too.

“Lexa?”

“Give me a moment.”

“Okay.”

Lexa stared up at the sky.

Clarke was a conduit.

_Clarke was a conduit_.

Out of all people, Clarke was a conduit.

She had just watched Clarke conjure up a flame out of thin air.

“You hate water,” Lexa realized.

“I hate water.”

“Because you’re a fire conduit.”

“Because I’m a fire conduit.”

Lexa sat up quickly, leaning back on her hands, realizing multiple things at once. She didn’t know which to say first. She didn’t want to overreact.

“How much can you do? Can you only do a single flame or…?”

Clarke shook her head. “I could set my whole body on fire if I wanted to.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you?”

“No.”

“Can you shoot fireballs?” Lexa knew she sounded ridiculous. But the possibility was there.

Clarke bit her lip. “I can shoot fireballs. I can make things explode. There’s a lot that I could do. But I don’t. Ever. I just make swords and tools in my shop and then I sell them to people.”

Lexa stared, jaw slack. _This_ was why Clarke’s creations were unparalleled. She made them with something close to magic.

Lexa licked her lips. “Can I see?”

Lexa couldn’t suppress the curious beast. If Clarke didn’t want to show her, she would tell her so and that would be fine. But it wasn’t every day that Lexa met a conduit, let alone could see what they could do.

Clarke lifted her hand, palm up. Lexa stared in awe as Clarke’s hand erupted in flames. There, in the center formed a solid orb. The sphere vibrated with contained concentrated energy, radiating intense heat. Lexa felt it on her cheeks and her nose. She felt it dry up the moisture on her eyes.

Clarke reeled her arm back and chucked the sphere into the air. Lexa followed the ball of fire with her eyes. The sphere travelled in an arc made visible by the smoke coming off it, leaving an ashen grey trail. In midair, the ball exploded, emitting out a loud sound. The last remnants of the fireball, the debris of the explosion, fell harmlessly into the river water below before washing away.

Mouth still open, Lexa turned from where she saw the debris land to the girl next to her. Clarke avoided eye contact, looking instead at her feet.

“That was so…”

Lexa searched for the right word. She usually had quite succinct and articulate abilities.

She breathed out, “ _Cool.’_

She saw the smallest upturn to the corner of Clarke’s mouth.

“You think so?”

Lexa pointed wildly to the smoke trail in the air. “You just created a fireball in the palm of your hand and threw it into the air! And it exploded! How is that not freaking amazing?!”

Despite herself, Clarke laughed at Lexa’s enthusiastic reaction.

Lexa dropped her arm. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? All this time…”

Clarke sighed. “It’s a secret. Being a conduit is… complicated. Some people think we’re freaks. Some people think we’re selfish for keeping our powers to ourselves.” Clarke shrugged. “I wanted you to see me for me instead of as this conduit thing.”

Clarke looked at Lexa. “Does that make sense?”

Lexa nodded. It made total sense. It was what she wished for every day. To be seen as herself. Not as the princess, the Commander’s daughter, or a nightblood. Just Lexa.

“I’m glad you told me.”

Clarke nodded. “Me too. And…” Clarke met her eyes. “Tell your dad not to pick any fights with anyone. I want a peaceful existence for as long as I live. No wars.”

Lexa agreed, “No wars.” She leaned into Clarke’ side and put an arm around her. Clarke rested her head on Lexa’s shoulder.

Clarke said quietly, “I don’t want to be a weapon, Lex.”

“I know.”

“They’ll make me into one if there’s a war. They’ll test me and they’ll see how powerful I am. And then they’re going to make me hurt people.”

War was one of Clarke’s greatest fears. It was one of Lexa’s greatest fears too.

Lexa closed her eyes and sighed through her nose.

She didn’t want Clarke to ever have to take a life. She didn’t want Clarke to resent her abilities in spite of their power to create because of their power to destroy.

Lexa couldn’t promise either of them that war would never come. She dearly hoped that it wouldn’t. Every day until she became Heda, and every day after, Lexa swore that her greatest goal would be peace.

She swore it to herself, to her people, and to Clarke.

Clarke, her conduit blacksmith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Clarke sings is "So This Is Love" from Cinderella.  
>   
> I always love to hear comments. No matter what they are they usually help me with direction, my writing, and seeing things from new perspectives.  
> Have a nice day. Eat a fruit.


	2. "Skaikru for the brains, Trikru for the brawn."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down basically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can already feel this story getting out of hand.  
> Enjoy the madness.

15 minutes.

Lexa had 15 minutes to herself.

Well, mostly to herself.

She had to keep an eye on the children while they ate lunch in between the training that they were doing.

The sun was high in the sky and it was hot. Midsummer was always a time full of movement and change in lifestyle. It was nice to not have to struggle through the snow and ice from winter or the slush and mud from spring. More sunlight during the day offered a lot as well.  People went out more. The markets were fuller with more visitors and fresher produce. Travel between clans was easier. People put away their furs and leathers and replaced them with light fabrics.

Lexa took the children on field trips throughout the year so that they could gain real life experience. It was also nice to get out of the tower once in awhile. A change of scenery was necessary to keep the creativity and enthusiasm up in a learning environment. The kids enjoyed the field trips on sunny, warm days more than the ones that made them shiver and freeze and Lexa had to admit that she did too. The children try to hide their pout when Lexa tells them to train outside in the snow or mud. They forget though, that she doesn’t like the snow or mud any more than they do. She has built up resilience and an attitude towards it that lets her overcome her discomfort to do what needs to be done. She hopes to pass this resilience and attitude on to these children.

On the days like this one, she takes the children to train with spears and swords under the shade of huge oak trees. They usually shrug off their jackets, bare arms and shoulders exposed to the breeze. Most of all it’s _fun._

And it’s fun not just for the kids, but for Lexa too.

There’s something nice about midsummer like that. It’s just… freer.

Lexa sat at the foot of a tree enjoying her 15 minutes of calm. She fiddled with a piece of wood in her hand that she had found on the ground. She took out her whittling knife and began carving into the wood.

Clarke had told her to start with basic shapes. A heart or a cube. And then she could move onto more complex shapes like stars. Eventually, she could be skilled enough to carve animals or figures. Lexa doubted that she would ever get that far. 15 minutes of practice every month or so wouldn’t lend itself to creating beautiful pieces very soon. But she had promised Clarke that she would try.

Lexa pressed her thumb against the metal, pushing the blade against the wood. Little shavings fell from the stick onto her lap. Maybe Clarke was right and her inner artist was repressed. Lexa couldn’t really picture anything that she wanted to carve specifically. She needed some sort of reference.

Slightly frustrated with not having much idea about what to make, she rested her arms on her knees and looked at the training area. Her eyes skimmed over the blades of grass, the tree leaves, the children eating together in a group. Her gaze flickered up to the sky. A lone cloud drifted slowly across a field of blue.

Then she knew what she wanted to carve.

She put the blade on the stick again and whittled.

=•==•==•===•====•

“Hainofi!” _Princess!_

Her calm lasted about half the time that she thought she had been allotted.

Two warriors galloped quickly and hastily over the grass towards her. The kids startled out of their conversation and stood up, pointing at the newcomers.

As soon as Lexa looked up she immediately recognized the Commander’s personal guards riding on top of the horses. The half-made cloud fell off Lexa’s lap, discarded in the grass as she got up. She put the knife away and pushed her legs forwards to meet the messengers.

“Chich op, testa.” _Speak, messenger._ Lexa wasted no time, sensing this was a matter of urgency.

One of the messengers leaned down, not to be overheard by the children.

“En’s Heda.” _It’s the Commander._

Lexa’s ears quirked up at the mention of her father.

Quickly she said, “Ena?” _Well?_

“Heda laik mous ste daun. Yu souda hos op bak.” _The commander is dying_. _You must hurry back._

Lexa’s face turned stoic and impassive immediately. The shade hid the color draining from her face. She poured iron into her voice, to not be misheard, to not be objected, and to not show how this unexpected news alarmed her.

“Yu gapa ron op ai.” _Give me your horse._

It wasn’t a suggestion, it was a command.

The man swiftly swung off the horse, not needing to be told twice. Lexa put two hands on the saddle, heaving herself on top of the animal. She took the reins in her hands and ordered the messenger to bring the children back to the tower safely. Without a second glance or an explanation for the kids, Lexa turned the horse and took off in the direction of the tower, with the second messenger following closely behind.

Lexa yelled back at her, “What happened?!” Lexa’s mind ran through the possibilities.

Assassination, poison, sickness, suffocation… the list was endless.

“We don’t know! It was the strangest thing! A deathly fog!”

Lexa crinkled her eyebrows. “A deathly fog?!” She pulled on the reins, stopping the horse.

The other woman stopped next to her. “Sha, _yes_ , a deathly green fog. It was in the woods, Trikru territory. It appeared suddenly. Those who touched it burned.”

Lexa asked tentatively, “Heda?”

“The fog almost enveloped him. A gona, a _warrior_ , ran into the fog and pulled the Commander into a hollow tree trunk. Gona ste daun. Yu nontu na wan op. Oso souda ban op snap.” _The warrior died. Your father is dying._ _We must leave_ _quickly._

Lexa nodded once at the guard’s spur for action, but was still confused about the danger that the Commander had encountered in the forest. It wasn’t anything that she had ever heard of before.

Lexa and the guard kicked their heels into the horses’ sides. They rode the horses from the cluster of oak trees past the threshold of the forest, speeding into the woods.

The horses galloped around trunks and over roots. They leaped over small creeks and boulders. The leaves overhead blurred as the riders ran past them.

 Both riders stopped their horses abruptly at the sound of a horn. It was 4 tones, in a distinct sequence.

Lexa knew how it worked. Urgent messages were passed throughout the land with horns, each horn and sequencing of notes communicating a different message. The messages got passed from one clan to the next, each blasting a horn loudly down the line of villages. Not everyone knew the meaning of each horn sound. The chiefs were expected to decipher the sound and pass the message on to their people.

Until every clan had a radio tower and working radios provided by the Skaikru, this was the method which worked to communicate messages quickly and over long distances.

This particular message was one that Lexa had never officially heard before, only in lessons and teachings.

It wasn’t a war declaration. It wasn’t a drought. It wasn’t a famine. It wasn’t an ascension.

Lexa heard the guard next to her murmur, “Heda…”

The horn meant that the Commander was dead. The first low sound indicated this. The following three tones communicated that he died of an unusual and mysterious cause. The fog that the guard had talked about.

Lexa hadn’t even been able to say goodbye.

She cleared her throat. “Hos op.” _Hurry._ “The Royal Tower needs their Princess.” Lexa spurred the horse to a run again, kicking into high gear to reach the tower quickly.

Something in her heart quivered and hurt. Lexa willed herself to be brave. She put her mask on and pushed the quivering feeling down. It settled in her stomach.

Lexa arrived at the tower and ordered the guards this way and that with her hands but her legs moved stiffly down the halls.

She pushed the healers to tell her what they knew and didn’t know but nothing that they said made any sense.

She inspected the wounds on the guards who had survived the fog and listened to their accounts. When she felt nausea and bile rise up her throat, she told herself it was because of the rancid welts on their bodies.

When she finally moved into the private healer’s room and pulled back the sheet over the dead Commander’s body, it all came up and she was sick into a pot next to the bed. That time she couldn’t tell herself that it was just the putrid wounds that covered his face and the quivering feeling in her heart finally consumed her.

“Reshop, nontu.” _Goodnight, father._ She whispered it into the night and pulled the sheet over his head again. _That_ wasn’t how Lexa remembered the Commander. This unusual fog had transfigured him beyond recognition. She needed to understand this threat. She needed to know how it had appeared out of thin air in her woods.

=•==•==•===•====•

Grief for the princess was found in one place, and one place only; privacy.

Lexa peered out at Polis from her balcony. The news had been relayed to the people that evening. The whole city was alight with memorial candles and fires. Lanterns hung from windows and over market stalls. It cast a warm glow into the empty streets. It was sigil of mourning and of remembrance.  

Lexa hadn’t cried yet. She expected it to come but it just wouldn’t. She would have to wait. Deep down, she wanted to cry because it felt good to cry. It felt cleansing. Like washing out the bad with something new. It was a release. It was a momentary acceptance to let yourself just _feel_ and surrender to the fact that you’re only human.

A moment might come when a conflict arises, a move is made, or a battle breaks out and Lexa won’t know what to do. She’ll want to ask her father. She’ll need to know what he would do in her position but she won’t be able to ask.  One day she’ll have forgotten the sound of his voice so how could she possibly imagine _what_ he would say if she can’t even imagine _how_ he would say it? She predicts that’s when she’ll cry. That’s when she’ll weep. She just knows it.

Lexa heard footsteps approach her despite the wind howling around her at the highest floor of the tower. The footsteps drew closer and she sensed someone join her on the balcony. She didn’t tear her eyes away from the lights below until something slid onto the wide balcony railing in front of her.

Clarke pushed the candle into one of Lexa’s hands.

“You should light it and make a wish,” said Clarke quietly.

“Isn’t it the other way around? You make a wish and then you blow the flame out.”

“We’ll do it differently today.”

Clarke snapped her fingers.

Lexa lifted the candle and titled the wick onto the flame that flickered on Clarke’s thumb. The small string caught and the candle glowed. Lexa set it on the railing and watched the fire dance.

“Happy 18th birthday, Lexa.”

Lexa murmured, “Happy Birthday to me.”

She closed her eyes and made a wish.

=•==•==•===•====•

Lexa’s wish didn’t come true.

After the Commander’s death, there was a summit meeting with ambassadors, representatives, chiefs, and generals from all 13 clans to discuss the ascension of the next commander. The commander used to be chosen through a conclave- a fight to the death. The commander before Lexa’s father realized how wasteful and illogical this method of choosing leadership was. Why shed so much rare blood? Why kill so many young warriors with potential and wisdom beyond their years to fill just one position within the coalition? It had made no sense and the rules were changed.

There was a special delegation consisting of 13 members who, at these times, tried to unanimously decide on one Commander to ascend. This delegation was called the Spirit. They were knowledgeable in ways of politics and religion within the land. They listened to each clan at the summit and took their needs to heart. If they couldn’t agree unanimously, there would be a conclave to decide the Commander. However, the fight would not be to the death.

11 delegates voted in favor of Lexa kom Trikru to ascend almost immediately. Only Floukru and Azgeda were reluctant. Floukru were hesitant because they also had a strong nightblood in their clan who was worthy of ascension named Luna. And Azgeda had reservations about letting Trikru and the late Commander’s family remain in power. Azgeda argued to let someone else have a turn on the throne but who they really wanted in power was themselves, of course. After much back and forth, the Floukru and Azgeda delegates were persuaded to vote for Lexa unanimously. She knew the most about being a warrior, having lived and trained in Polis since she was a child. She knew the most about the burden of duty, having served for her father already. The Commander is rarely close to anyone, but the late Commander was close to his daughter and guided her well, preparing her as much as he could precisely for this occasion.  It was agreed that Lexa was worthy to ascend. The Spirit chose her.

Lexa’s first order of business had been to investigate the deadly fog. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, spreading throughout a part of the forest thickly before disappearing again hours later. Lexa had wanted to see this fog for herself but was advised not to search for it deliberately due to its fatality. Warriors who survived it or managed to flee from it in time described that it was sickly green in color and made the air toxic. The injuries that it caused were blindness, paralysis, blistering, and extreme pain which a handful of warriors had already succumbed to. What particularly saddened Lexa was that the most casualties were shared between Trikru and Skaikru respectively. Both Lexa and Clarke felt the loss of their peoples. Lexa immediately suggested to Trikru and Skaikru to design a new horn sound, a warning that there was fog nearby, in addition to using radios.

Lexa also talked to a Skaikru scientist, one of Clarke’s friends, imploring her to do tests on this enigma.

“I’m assuming it’s a part nerve, part sulfur mustard vesicant,” Raven, had said. “It’s something used in chemical warfare.”

Lexa had stared at her confused, blank, and rightly afraid. “Chemical warfare? You think someone is attacking us?”

Raven shrugged her shoulders. “Well, it’s not natural that’s for sure. At first, I thought it could be something caused by radiation. But it appears and disappears randomly like it’s being controlled.”

Lexa clicked her jaw. She put her hand to her chin as she thought. Raven’s assessment was very helpful but it raised more and more questions. “But who would do this? And who would have this kind of technology?”

Raven shook her head, feeling as dumbfounded as Lexa. Lexa grasped at Raven’s papers and notes, pushing them into one pile.

“Keep these locked away, somewhere safe where no one can find them.”

“What? Why?”

“We need to keep this a secret from the public. We will inform clan leaders of the possible threat because they are trained to act accordingly. However, this kind of information with the public will cause fear and perhaps even mania.”

“Don’t you think the people have a right to know that there might be something out there that’s coming after us?”

“Think about it, Raven. How can we answer their questions about what this threat is if we don’t even know what to tell them? The last thing we need is people going out there into the forest in search of the culprits.”

“We should at least tell the affected families.”

“No, Raven. Not yet. There’s nothing that they could do with that information now except let it stew and fester into rage and paranoia.”

Lexa kept her jaw square.

“Keep it a secret, Raven.”

Raven sighed. “Alright.”

“What _you_ need to do for me is work on those radios. I want all the clans connected and communicating with the push of a button as soon as possible.”

Raven rolled her stool over to her map on another table. “Trust me, I’m on it, boss.”

Lexa squinted at the unfamiliar word. Raven caught her gaze and said, “Relax. It means that I’m acknowledging you as the one in charge.”

“Oh.”

Lexa looked at where Raven was pointing on the map. “Anyway, the first priority is getting radios to Trikru. They’re the closest to Arkadia and they need those radios more than ever because of the fog. Next, we want to set up a larger radio in Polis to communicate with Trikru and Arkadia. Then we’ll go down the line of clans based on geography, weather, and climate. It’s going to take a while to get everyone on the grid. We still need to build a lot of this stuff first…”

Lexa didn’t enjoy keeping information from Clarke or her old friend Anya. But she knew what Clarke would say. Clarke would implore her to give the news to the people. She trusted Clarke to keep it to herself, but she also didn’t want to fight with her over this. More than anyone, Clarke would be most likely to change her mind which is what Lexa didn’t want either.

And Anya… well, Anya would just be peeved that Costia had found out before her. But Costia was on a need- to- know basis since she was an ambassador.  

Confidants such as she would keep their eyes and ears open for any information on who this weapon belonged to.

One day, Lexa’s radio in Polis came through with a message. Lexa walked into the room and was passed the radio receiver and microphone.

“This is Heda speaking….. Raven?”

“We’ve been over this. You have to say over so I know you’re done talking. Over.”

“Fine, Raven. Over.”

“Good. This is about Operation: Oscar. Over.”

Breath hitching slightly, Lexa caught the eyes of the others in the room and said, “Leave me.” Every person exited the room until only Lexa remained with the radio. Operation: Oscar was their codename for the fog.

“Did you make a discovery?”

“I’ve been logging the locations of the fog sightings. All the sightings have been clustered in a 10-mile radius. With that, I started looking at some old maps that we have here in Arkadia, trying to find what’s so special about that area. I think I got something. Have you ever heard of a place called Mount Weather?”

“Mount Weather?” The name didn’t ring any bells. “No, I haven’t. What is it?”

“Well, according to this map it looks like a military facility from the Old World that’s located 8 hours away from Arkadia on foot.”

“Okay, and?”

“ _And…_ ” Lexa imagined Raven rolling her eyes. “I repeat, it’s a military facility. These could be the guys who are using the fog.”

“Raven, Praimfaya, _the nuclear apocalypse_ , killed almost every human on Earth over 90 years ago. Unless skeletons are killing our people with acid fog, then I don’t think this is important.”

“I probably should have added that this is no ordinary facility. It’s an underground bunker. People could have locked themselves in there and survived Praimfaya.”

That piqued Lexa’s interest.

“Give me the coordinates.”

It turns out that Lexa’s people had discovered Mount Weather early on. It was forgotten because it was sealed shut, locked tight with unattainable interiors. The mountain never moved all the years that it rested, lying dormant. Everyone assumed that it was empty with no inhabitants because no one ever went in or out.

Lexa took a torch with her deep into the map rooms. She dug through each drawer, searching and rifling. Unfurled maps scattered all over the floor. Lexa kneeled, tracing her finger over each line.

Even the oldest maps had been preserved. They felt brittle under her fingertips, worn from use once upon a time, but now dusty from neglect. Finally, Lexa pulled out a map that had been buried deep behind one of the cabinets. She unrolled it and coughed as dust and dirt sprung into the air. There on the map, just shy of 22 miles away from where Arkadia resided was an illustration of a building with Trigedasleng symbols. Maungeda _. Mountain Nation._

=•==•==•===•====•

Lexa peered through her binoculars. “I don’t see anything,” she said into the radio.

“Really? Nothing?”

“There’s just a large metal door.” From her high vantage point in the tree, she saw a whole lot of mountain and a lot of door but no movement or any indication that anyone was inside.

Raven sighed from where she stood at the foot of the tree that Lexa was situated in. A half dozen guards stood watch within the vicinity, guarding the tree. Jaha stood next to her, who had volunteered to accompany them, wanting to know as much as possible about this military facility.

“Well, do you want to hear my suggestion? Over.”

“What Raven?”

“The map that I found said that Mount Weather has mines. You should send a group of warriors in there to investigate.”

Raven’s radio cackled statically. “Do you really deem it necessary to send a group of men straight to the enemy’s front door? They wouldn’t know what to look for. There’s only one clan that’s knowledgeable in technology and that’s Skaikru.”

“So, send a mixed group. Skaikru for the brains, Trikru for the brawn.”

“We know so little about the enemy, Raven.”

“Which is why we need to get more information.”

Lexa sighed. “I’m coming down.” She clipped the radio onto her belt and put away the binoculars. She climbed down the tree with amble hands and feet.

When Lexa got both her feet on the ground she asked Jaha, “Do you have a suggestion, Chancellor?”

Jaha had his chin resting between his index finger and thumb, frowning at the mountain in the distance.

“I think there’s a very real possibility that there might be people in there. I don’t know why they would want to be hostile towards us. It’s possible that they have other weapons alongside the acid fog. It could be dangerous to get closer.”

He turned to the other two women. “That being said, I think exploring the mines is the next course of action. We need to know more about them before they know more about us. We’ll send a group of warriors and militia with guns. We would have to provide them with tents in case acid fog appears.”

Lexa nodded along. That sounded like a good plan. Lexa was about to call her men to regroup for a trek back in the direction of Arkadia when a horn sounded nearby.

Lexa’s eyes widened at the tone and Raven cursed. _Acid fog._

Not thinking, only acting, Jaha pulled a tent out of his backpack. He unfolded it on the ground quickly. He threw pegs at Lexa and Raven.

“Help me!”

They sprung into action, moving quickly to secure the tent to the ground. Jaha unzipped the front flap and held the hole open. Raven crawled inside with a long pole, wedging it in between the ground and top, creating a triangular roof, keeping the plastic above her head. Somewhere down the row of trees, a person screamed out in pain.

Jaha and Lexa climbed in hastily after Raven and zipped the tent shut.

They breathed out sighs of relief.

Raven asked quietly, “Did you hear that? Right before we closed the tent?”

Lexa nodded. She whispered to no one, “Yu gonplei ste odon.” _Your fight is over._

Raven murmured, “This could take hours to pass.”

Lexa sighed, slumping backwards onto the hard ground. “It takes as long as it takes. Get comfortable. We’re going to be here awhile.”

=•==•==•===•====•

As was agreed in the forest, Lexa and Jaha sent a mixed group of both Trikru and Skaikru to explore the mines. They got within 10 miles of Mount Weather before fog appeared. To everyone’s surprise, Kane extended his hands and created great gusts of wind, pushing the fog back. It gave everyone in the squad time to assemble tents or to find hiding spots. Kane held the acid fog at bay for as long as he could but eventually, the spread of fog became too much. He ran for one of the tents quickly, the fog lapping his heels.

=•==•==•===•====•

“It could’ve been a coincidence.”

“Really, Lexa? Two out of two times that we have gotten within close range of the mountain, fog appeared. I think both times they knew we were coming.”

Lexa closed her eyes, frustrated at not making any progress. “How could they know, Raven?”

“They must be able to see us. They might have some sort of tracking system or a satellite.”

Lexa nodded to herself, pacing back and forth in Raven’s workshop. “This satellite. How would they be able to connect to it in space?”

“They must have satellite dishes.”

“And where would these be? Why haven’t we seen them?”

Raven’s thoughts ran a million miles a minute. “They must have their dishes on top of the mountain.”

Lexa shook her head while assessing the possibility that her people were being watched. This just wasn’t adding up.

“Why hide for over 90 years inside a mountain only to make the first contact with the outside world through hostility?”

Raven didn’t answer, not knowing either.

Lexa continued, “Well, we don’t know for certain that they can see us. We still do not know anything.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m sending another team.”

Raven sighed as Lexa walked out of the room. This wasn’t going to end well.

=•==•==•===•====•

“Ah… _Ah!”_

“Sorry.” Abby dabbed at Kane’s wounds gingerly. Both his pant legs were rolled up, revealing the skin of his legs, or rather what was left of it. The acid fog had touched Kane’s skin by creeping into the openings of his pants, burning his lower legs.

“It’s alright.”

“You got lucky.” Finished with cleaning his wounds, Abby rolled her chair over to a side table to pick up healing crème and gauze.

“I know.”

“They said you were the last one in the tent.” She took a wide popsicle stick out from a tray and smeared the crème onto it.

“Is that all they said?”

She shook her head. “No. This might hurt a little.” She applied the crème to the blistering flesh. Kane clenched his teeth and endured the pain. “I can give you some painkillers if you need.”

Kane hastily shook his head. “No. Don’t. Save it for someone else.”

Abby moved onto the other leg and swabbed it with the healing medicine as well.

“That’s very kind of you, Marcus. But I think you deserve some pain relief for your heroic act today.”

Kane scoffed at the word ‘heroic’.

“Heroic? No. That wasn’t heroic.”

“You put your life in danger to help the other people on the mission.” Abby put the stick away and started wrapping the gauze around his legs.

Kane only shook his head. “I’ve been lying to people for years.”

Abby looked at him somberly. “Being a conduit is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I’m not ashamed, Abby.”

“What then?”

Kane wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk to Abby Griffin, of all people, about this. She was another council member and the Chief Medical Officer at Arkadia.

Luckily, she spoke for him.

“You’re afraid. You’re afraid that people won’t accept you, that your friends will turn on you. You’re afraid that you don’t do enough for the community with your powers while still trying to be normal like everyone else.”

“With your insight, I would almost guess and say you’re a conduit too, Abby.”

Abby shook her head as she tied off the last bandage. “No. I just happen to know one or two.”

Kane got onto his feet, clenching his jaw at the pain. He started limping towards the door.

“Marcus, you really should rest for a few days. Let those wounds heal.”

“I’ll rest in my room. I need to go over some plans.”

“Marcus, I really don’t think-"

A gust of wind cut Abby off as she felt it push her backwards into her seat.

Just before he turned the corner, leaving the Medbay, Kan threw a smirk over his shoulder at the doctor.

Abby scoffed lightheartedly under her breath, “Conduits.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Lexa went over the list of registered conduits.

She knew the law. She couldn’t _force_ any conduit to participate in her plans with their powers. A few didn’t live in the near vicinity and others that were near weren't soldiers or trained in combat at all. But just because she couldn’t order conduits around, that didn’t mean she couldn’t manipulate the tide a bit.

She held the radio up to her mouth, sitting in her tent in TonDC.

“Indra. Come to my tent. I have a proposition for you.”

=•==•==•===•====•

“She wants you to be her what?” asked Clarke.

“Her second!” answered Octavia.

“Well, what did you say?”

“I thought about saying ‘no’. I don’t understand why she would pick me of all people to train. I’m just a worthless Skaikru kid. I go to school. I sleep. I keep Bellamy out of trouble. That’s it.”

“But you said ‘yes’ right?”

Octavia straightened up from where she was refilling canteens in the river. Clarke stood to the side, with her own string of filled canteens hanging on her shoulder.

“Of course, I said ‘yes’. Do you think I’d rather become an Arkadia janitor or something?”

Clarke held her hands up in defense. “I was just asking. I think it’s great. I don’t think it matters why she picked you, just that she did. Maybe Lexa put in a good word for you.”

Octavia’s eyes widened. “Oh, God. You don’t think Lexa told Indra that I’m-"

“No.” Clarke swatted a hand at a fly. “No, I don’t think she did. Lexa wouldn’t obstruct confidentiality like that.”

“I just want to learn how to fight. Especially with this creepy fog thing going on. Who knows what else could pop up out of nowhere.” Octavia gestured to Clarke. “You should think about learning how to fight too.”

“And why’s that?”

“So that if the time ever comes, you won’t need to harm anyone with your powers.”

“I don’t know, O.” To Clarke, there was a difference between setting someone on fire and punching them with a fist. But what if it came to shooting someone? Killing is killing. The end is the same, the means are just slightly different. What would happen to Clarke’s mind if she used her powers against someone? Would it be any different than pulling the trigger and firing a bullet at their head? Or running their torso through with a blade? Would she look at her hands in disgust regardless of how she took a life?

They were questions that straddled the line between being a monster and becoming a monster. Clarke’s powers didn’t make her a monster but how she used them could. Could the same be true for any weapon? Or did the weapon have to be herself?

=•==•==•===•====•

Three months had passed since Lexa’s father died and she ascended the throne. She was still searching for clues. Lexa wasn’t sure whether to wait for Kane to heal before sending another group out on a mission to the mountain or if his conduit powers weren’t worth waiting for. The unit had tents that would protect them from the fog. Arkadia had also been able to fashion some hazmat suits for further protection. Lexa decided to send the group on the mission without Kane, deciding that they didn’t need an air conduit to accompany them.

After a full 12 hours of radio silence, Lexa was beyond worried. No one was responding to the radio and she didn't know why.

“When did they stop responding?” asked Raven.

“Almost 8 hours into the walk. They were almost there.” Lexa traced a finger over the map, pointing at the last coordinates that they received. “They all either died in acid fog, their radios stopped working, or…” Lexa trailed off.

Jaha stood next to her. “There’s no doubt in my mind. There are people in that mountain and they took our squad.”

Indra stood stoically to the side, watching the gears turn in the Commander’s head.

“If so, _how_ were they taken?” asked Lexa. “If their tech is advanced enough to produce chemical fog, what else are they capable of?”

Raven spoke up, “The people in the mountain could have come out and kidnapped them.”

“But why? What did we do to them to incite this?” asked Lexa. She scratched her forehead. “We mustn’t jump to conclusions. We do not know why the squad is no longer communicating with us. They may not have been taken.”

“Do you want to send another group after them?” asked Raven.

Lexa shook her head. They all knew that was a bad idea at this point. With 3 excursions to the mountain and each of them ending badly, there was a correlation present. “We will wait. Someone might reach out to us. Or someone survived and is running back as we speak. We must be patient.”

Raven asked loudly as if realizing suddenly, “And what if no one comes back or contacts us? What if those mountain people really took our guys? Do we just leave them in there with those crazy psychos?”

Jaha spoke up, “We don’t have enough information to send a rescue team. If anything, that team will meet the same fate as this one.”

Raven scoffed, “8 people are potentially missing, dead or worse.” She looked Lexa in the eye. “You need to tell people. Those 8 people were someone’s friend! Or brother or sister or parent! They have a right to know.”

Lexa slid her jaw back and forth.

“Raven is right. We will wait 24 hours. If we do not hear anything from them in that time frame…” She turned to Jaha and Indra. “Then you must tell your people. Make the announcement that there might be people living in a mountain and that they pose a threat. Inform your people that we suspect these… Mountain Men to be the cause of the acid fog. Lastly, tell your people that I sent a team to investigate the mountain, however, we have lost contact with them and we are unsure of their whereabouts. I urge you to keep the peace. This is going to get much harder very fast. Be prepared.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Lexa stormed out of the telecommunications room in Arkadia, her coat sweeping behind her. Raven was manning the radio, sending out a message on loop for the missing team.

Lexa feared the worst. That the team was in fact inside the walls of Mount Weather, captured by the same people who have been savagely killing her scouts, warriors, and friends with their fog. Come 24 hours, the news will spread rapidly throughout the coalition. Whatever the team had gone up against, it was too great for their guns, swords, and combat experience to overcome. The thought sent a chill up Lexa’s spine. Lexa could only imagine the fear that her people would react with to an enemy such as this. An enemy which they couldn’t see and knew virtually nothing about.

Lexa wanted to go back to TonDC and start making plans for each scenario. She needed to be able to console the people, whichever way they reacted. She needed a plan for if no one survived the mission. She needed a plan for if they came back. She needed a plan for if they answered the radio calls. As much as she wanted to plan though, it was hard to plan with so many unknown variables. It frustrated her to no end.

She took a turn in the hallway, instead of taking the path to go outside to her horse, she took a path to the dormitories and residential rooms.

She walked up to a door and knocked next to the nameplate, C. Griffin.

The door opened and Lexa stepped inside.

“Hey stranger.” The blonde grinned as she closed the door after Lexa. “What brings you here?”

“Clarke, sit down for me.”

“Okay?” Clarke eyed Lexa closely. She picked up on Lexa’s exhausted demeanor and lowered herself onto the bed in the room.

Lexa sat down next to her. “I know you’ve been here to help your mother in the medical bay. She’s had more patients than ever with the acid fog terrorizing the forest.”

“It’s the strangest thing. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Lexa swallowed. “Neither have I. But Raven and I think we know what it is.”

Clarke’s expression changed to something almost hopeful. Everyone was looking for answers, Clarke included.

“Raven hypothesized early on that the fog is a chemical weapon. For a long time, we didn’t know who could possibly be attacking us. But we recently made a discovery.” Lexa held her hands tightly in her lap. “There’s a military facility, 8 hours from here. It’s underground. Given its construction, it’s very possible that people survived Praimfaya in there. For whatever reason, they’ve decided to stop hiding and are attacking our people.”

Clarke gaze searched Lexa’s eyes back and forth in shock. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, unsure how to respond.

“There’s more,” Lexa continued. “Raven suspects that the people in the mountain can see us with satellite technology. They know when we get near to their base and they unleash the fog onto us to keep us away. I sent a team with tents and suits to investigate the mines that run into the mountain. We lost radio contact with them today. I admit that I’m fearing the worst.”

Clarke furrowed her brow and asked somewhat quietly, “Which is what?”

Lexa said bluntly, “That they have been taken into the mountain and will never return. They will never return home to their people or their families. I sent them to their death because, despite the power of the fog, I underestimated this new enemy.” Lexa’s voice started shaking towards the end of her confession.

“You couldn’t have known…”

“Exactly, Clarke. I don’t know anything about this threat. Anything I do is an uneducated guess. It’s a shot in the dark. How am I supposed to go up against something like this?” Lexa was showing her human side for once. It reminded Clarke of the girl whose jaw dropped at the sight of a blazing fireball and pointed excitedly to the leftover smoke trail. The Commander wasn’t that girl. Lexa was.

Lexa continued, “I’ve been preparing for this my whole life. To lead. But now I think I finally know what it means. The truth is I must look into the eyes of my warriors and say, ‘go die for me’.”

Clarke scooted closer to Lexa. “You don’t know that’s what happened. You’re fearing the worst and it’s making you believe it. Things can still change for the better.”

“That’s dangerously optimistic, Clarke.” Lexa shifted on the bed to be sitting cross-legged.  “I wanted to inform you of my findings before the public is educated.”

“When are you going to tell them?”

“In 24 hours if we don’t make contact with the squad that I sent out by then.”

“Do you think people will panic?”

“I fear it but I do not believe that will happen. If I did I wouldn’t be so ready to get the people involved. They deserve to know. It’s very possible that these woods that I once called home aren’t safe anymore.” Lexa added as an afterthought, “You should think about going back to Polis. It’s safer there.”

Clarke looked taken aback. “What? No. I’m staying here. The medical bay needs more helping hands and I’m not going to run away from some green mist.”

“It’s not just the mist, Clarke. It’s the enemy hiding behind it.”

“Are you going to tell all of TonDC and Arkadia to pack up and leave?”

Lexa’s eyes strayed to her lap and she shook her head.

“Then don’t tell me to.”

Lexa lifted her heavy head and sighed. “I’m not telling you to. You’re a free agent and can do as you please. I just worry.”

Clarke could understand that. Every day in the medical ward she prayed that they never brought Lexa with blistering, pus-filled wounds in on a stretcher.

“Skaikru and Trikru are both hurting. I’m going to be here for my people just like you are here for them.” Clarke smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Besides, you could use me here too.”

It didn’t work and Lexa sighed. She took one of Clarke’s hands in her both of hers.

“I just don’t understand what they want from us.”

“I don’t either.”

“Maybe we can’t find anything. Maybe we have to wait for them to reveal themselves to us. I don’t like that, Clarke. I don’t enjoy waiting and seeing what happens when there are 8 people who are trapped.”

“We’ll come up with something. Your mind is running in circles right now, Lex. When was the last time you slept?”

Lexa leaned back against the bed headboard. “I can’t sleep right now, Clarke. I have important things to do.”

“Sleep _is_ important. You’ll feel better after some rest and things will be clearer. Your brain and body need a break.” Clarke patted the sheet. “There’s a bed right here.”

Lexa’s protests died before they ever fully formed on her tongue. “Alright.”

She sat up and removed her boots and her belts. She took off her jacket and threw it on a chair. She lifted the covers and lay her tired bones down on the mattress. It did feel good and Lexa let herself have it for once.

She closed her eyes, tugging the blanket up to her chin. Before she succumbed to sleep she said, “Clarke?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about the mountain sooner.”

“It’s alright. I know a thing or two about having a secret.”

“I thought you would urge me to tell the people.”

“To be honest, I probably would have. But then again, would it have changed anything?”

Clarke was met with silence and she looked over at Lexa. The girl was breathing evenly, fast asleep. Clarke leaned over the bed and kissed Lexa on the forehead.

“Reshop, Heda. Tomorrow is a new day.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get that this is very different from the canon, so if you have any questions feel free to ask. And if you want you can leave feedback since those comments always make me excited.


	3. "Yay, rocks."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa has a nightmare.  
> Arkadia and Trikru address their people.  
> The 4th conduit is revealed.  
> (read beginning notes for important info, note rating change)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was really fluffy and not angsty. You may have noticed that shit went down in the last chapter. It's not so fluffy anymore. We're gonna go into hard times with fighting and endurance. The rating has been changed to M because of graphic depictions of violence, the first instance of which will come up in this chapter. The tags have also been changed accordingly. If that's not your style/makes you uncomfortable, I understand if you don't want to read the story. Also, warning you for a mention of a needle and stitches in this chapter in case you have problems with that. Just warning you beforehand that 'war' is tagged for a reason. It won't get more graphic than the show though, that's for sure.

“Jok!” Lexa yelled out.

_Fuck._

Fuck fuckity fuck.

Lexa breathed in and out deeply through her nose as she ran through the forest. Her arms pumped back and forth, her will to survive propelling her forward. She ducked under a low hanging branch and jumped over a jagged boulder. Her boot collided with the ground over a patch of wet leaves and slid forward under her. Lexa gasped as she hit the ground.

She pushed herself up with her hands, wet leaves and moss sticking to her palms and pants.

She kept running. As she wiped at the sweat on her forehead, her thumb left a streak of dirt behind.

TonDC and Arkadia were too far away. The fog would catch up with her before she even got close.

She needed a place to hide. She knew there were underground bunkers throughout the land. But she couldn’t figure out which way the closest one was. She had memorized countless maps for this very reason, damn it! It was like her mind couldn’t think besides moving her legs and her lungs.

Her chances of outrunning the fog weren’t high. Panic was starting to invade her brain, creeping into her most valuable thinking processes.

Critical thinking, decision making, deductive reasoning, _logic._

It all started to evade her.

If she stopped to catch her breath could she steal a moment to think clearly?

Or would she lose valuable time which she needed to fucking _run?_

Lexa looked over her shoulder behind her and swore again.

The speed at which the fog was moving not just unsettled her. She found herself terrified.

Being the Commander was dangerous. Lexa knew this and the history of the Commanders. She knew what they had achieved. How they had failed. And how they had died. It was rare for a Commander to live long.

Lexa didn’t want to die like this. She didn’t want to die in the moment that she most wanted to live.

She hadn’t solved this problem with the mountain yet. She hadn’t brought the eight missing people home. She hadn’t avenged her father. She hadn’t done enough for her people. She hadn’t done enough for herself.

Was she really going to let Clarke pull back the sheet over her blistered body like she had done with her own father? If not Clarke then Anya. Or Costia. Or Gustus. She couldn’t let that happen to the people she cared about.

Lexa didn’t like to talk about the future with Clarke because she didn’t want to promise anything that she couldn’t fulfill. But she wanted lazy days in the summer sun. She wanted to feel the juice trickle down her hand as she bit from a watermelon. She wanted Clarke to leave charcoal fingerprints on her back.

The hard truth was that to think about these things was an act of indulgence. She didn’t get a lot of lazy days and thinking about them was bittersweet. Being blissfully ignorant of her duties was not something she did often.

But you think about all sorts of things when you’re running out of time.

In her peripheral, Lexa saw the fog advance forward. It moved further and further spreading out alongside her. It started to curve around like it was trying to cut her off.

Suddenly, the back of her leg seared in pain. Lexa cried out and immediately her long strides turned into a limping gait.  Almost hopping, Lexa persevered, refusing to let the fog envelop her from behind. But as she looked forward, she saw the breath of the fog had widened, almost to the point where it encircled her.

Lexa grasped onto a nearby tree trunk, sliding down against it onto the ground.

Lexa had heard about peace coming before death. A final acceptance of one’s fate. To her, it had always sounded a bit like giving up. Or maybe it was a form of giving _in_ rather than up.

She took deep breaths of the last clean air she would probably have. Her heart beat like a drum to the rhythm of the forest, her one true home.

The fog was inches from her, gathering like a swarm of ominous stink bugs. The sickly acid fog was like air from a dead man’s lungs.

Lexa heard the distinct snap of a boot crunching down onto a stick. She lifted her head to look at the cause, her breath becoming still and resigned.

The figure in the plastic hazmat suit walked towards her, emerging from the fog. They stood in front of her, in the last remaining area of clean air and safety. Their eyes were hidden through the glass of the hazmat helmet. The glass itself was clouded and misty from the person’s breaths within the mask.

The person reached two gloved hands up to the helmet and pulled it off their head.

Lexa gasped as she came face to face with gray eyes and brown hair.

“Don’t let our people die, Lexa. Don’t let them die. They’re coming for them!” said her father urgently.

Lexa wanted to ask, ‘who is they?’ Who was coming for her people? Was it the Mountain Men?

“Father?” She rasped out.

Her father repeated, “Don’t let them all die.”

Then the fog enveloped him from behind and consumed the air in his lungs. His skin fizzled and bristled red. His mouth opened to scream as his hands dropped the helmet and clawed at his face.

Lexa’s eyes widened and she scurried her feet backward, pushing her body against the tree trunk as he fell forward onto his knees. The fog quickly grew and moved towards her, unrelenting in its mission to destroy.

Lexa awoke with a start, gasping for breath. She panted, looking wildly around the room, from corner to corner. There was a sheen of sweat on her body, under her armpits, and on her back. She had kicked the blanket off at some point. It lay discarded, half on the ground and half on the bed.

It had been one of those dreams that had felt very real. Lexa was overcome with relief and disgust. Relief that she hadn’t almost died at the hands of smoky tendrilled acid fog. But disgust that her brain forced her to imagine her father’s last moments and to revisit the memory of when she last saw his body.

Her father had seemed to know something that she didn’t in her dream. But knowing that the dream was only a figment of her subconscious, Lexa accepted the fact that even within sleep she couldn’t escape the reality that her people were in danger. Something, or rather, _someone_ was coming for them and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Lexa's deepest wish was that she wouldn’t falter like she had in her nightmare. 

She called out, “Clarke?”

Everything was in its usual place. Drawings hung on the wall. The chair with Lexa’s jacket hanging on it was pushed into the desk. The door to the bathroom was closed.

Lexa crawled out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Clarke?”

At receiving no answer, Lexa turned to the window. Lexa had awoken just in time for dawn, meaning she hadn’t slept as long as she probably should have.

But that suited her just fine. She had things to do. Clarke obviously hadn’t decided to go to bed that night despite all her ushering for Lexa to do so. Lexa had wasted enough time.

She emerged a short while later from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She left the clothes that she had slept in on the bathroom floor. She put on a warm long-sleeved shirt from Clarke’s closet and a pair of black pants. She put all her belts on. Over Clarke’s clothes, she pulled on her Commander jacket. The last piece of her appearance lay on the bedside table. She picked up her forehead piece, placing it between her eyes, above the bridge of her nose.

The Commander walked out of the bedroom, into the hallways of Arkadia.

=•==•==•===•====•

It was around midday. When Clarke had returned to her room to get some papers, she had discovered the clothes in the bathroom and the missing garments from her closet. Later she heard that Lexa’s horse was gone and the gatekeepers had seen her leave at dawn for TonDC.

Clarke wasn’t upset that Lexa hadn’t said goodbye. There must have been a handful of things on her mind after she woke up that took priority over searching for Clarke in Arkadia. And should Lexa want to speak to Clarke, she could always use the radio.

Clarke returned to the medical bay, checking some of the patients’ vitals and filing papers. Nothing urgent came up until Octavia staggered into the hospital wing, bleeding from the arm.

Clarke sat her down and prepared what she needed for a suture.

“Don’t move, O.”

Octavia fisted her hand as she fought the pain of Clarke stitching up the cut on her arm. She felt the needle move in and out of her flesh, tugging the wound closed bit by bit.

“Indra finally let me spar with real blades instead of with the wooden ones today,” said Octavia proudly.

“Is it just your arm that you need taken care of?” asked Clarke.

Octavia nodded.

Clarke raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Octavia turned her gaze away from Clarke and reluctantly raised her shirt with her good hand.

When Clarke saw the blue flecks on Octavia’s side she let out a groan of disapproval.

She tsked at her friend, tying off the last of the stitching thread and put away the needle.

“I have to actually practice combat if I want to get better,” said Octavia.

“I know. But I never see Indra in the Medbay.”

Octavia grumbled, “That’s because I haven’t managed to hit her yet.”

Clarke chuckled, picking up some healing salve. She applied a generous amount to her hand and instructed Octavia to lift her shirt again. Clarke applied the salve to the bruised area, careful to not cause her friend pain.

From being together with Lexa, Clarke knew that cracked ribs and scraped knees were a normal part of the program when it came to warrior training. Alongside that, Clarke made knives for a living. She wasn’t a stranger to the damage those weapons could do.

Clarke asked, “So, how well would you say training is going?”

“I’ve honestly never felt more alive.” Octavia gave her a genuine smile.

“What does Bellamy say about all of this?”

“He wants me to be safe. That’s his main concern. He has to know that he can’t protect me forever. Especially since I’m a conduit. Should a declaration of war go out, he’ll be powerless and I could be in more danger than ever depending on what they decide to do with me. It’s best that he starts to get used to that possibility.”

Clarke let Octavia’s words and their implication sink in as she closed the lid on the salve. “You’re good to go.”

Octavia hopped off the medical bench.

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Oh please,” scoffed Clarke playfully. “Doctor Griffin is my mother.”

Octavia hobbled out of the Medbay, most likely in pursuit of lunch. Clarke sat down in the spot previously occupied by her friend. She held her hand in front of her, palm facing herself. She conjured the smallest, tiniest orange flame, not wanting anyone in the room to see. She looked at the small light and moved it on her hand, following the ridges and palm lines of her skin.

Clarke had read once that in the Old World, there were beliefs that your fortune could be read based on the shape and characteristics of your hand. The palm lines represented different things about you according to their length and shape. Clarke couldn’t remember what all the lines meant. But she figured the gist of it was about love, success, and finances. The usual things that people wanted foretelling.

What had jarred Clarke though, and what she had never forgotten after she had read that dusty book about fortune telling, was what it had said about fire.

There were some belief systems that grouped hand shape types based on the four natural elements; water, earth, air, and fire. There had been different beliefs across many peoples of the Old World but what Clarke remembered was that people with fire hands were said to be ambitious, creative, competitive, and natural leaders. They were also said to have wide palms and short fingers...

_“Get it, Clarke! It’s right there. Just a little closer.”_

_“I’m trying! I can’t… quite… reach!”_

_Clarke huffed from where she sat on top of Lexa’s shoulders. Lexa held her firmly by the legs, looking up at the red apple that Clarke was trying to get from a tree._

_It was time for the apple harvest. Orchards throughout the land were ripe with crisp apples. Farmers were working hard to collect the fruit for markets all over Polis and beyond. One of these apple trees could also be found in Lexa’s private garden. The Royal Tower’s own workers had already come to pluck the apples from the tree for a sweet pie for the royal family to enjoy. Clarke and Lexa had been taking a walk in the garden when they had spotted something in the tree._

_There was one apple that had been left behind and they were determined to get to it._

_“I’m the one doing all the hard work here!” said Lexa as she supported Clarke’s weight._

_“Ergh…” Clarke grunted as her fingers just grazed the bottom of the apple._

_“Your fingers are too stubby!” demanded Lexa._

_“They’re not stubby, they’re petite!” insisted Clarke back._

_“Maybe we should switch. I have longer hands after all,” suggested Lexa._

_Clarke didn’t answer, instead, she mumbled to herself, “I have longer hands, after all.”_

_Lexa huffed,“Mockery is not the product-”_

_“Of a strong mind. Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard you say that before.” Clarke reached into her back pocket and took out her pocket knife. Clarke clicked the button on the side of her stiletto and the blade sprung out. “This isn’t just an issue of length, it’s an issue of efficiency. We could switch but this is much faster.” With the extra inches of the knife and the sharp blade, Clarke cut through the stem of the apple and it fell off the tree._

_Seeing it fall, Lexa reached out with her quick reflexes and caught the apple before it hit the ground._

_Clarke triumphantly got down from Lexa’s shoulders, knife still in hand._

_They both slumped down onto the ground, lounging on the green grass._

_Clarke took the apple from Lexa and cut the fruit in half. Lexa took one half for herself and Clarke took the other._

A cough in the room from one of the patients startled Clarke out of her reverie and she extinguished the fire coming from her hand.

She didn’t actually believe that the lines on your hand could predict how many kids you would get or how quickly you could fall in love. She didn’t believe that her short fingers indicated anything in particular about leadership or creativity. But she had been fascinated by the concept of her hands tying her to a certain fate. Would it be possible for her to reach a destiny without her hands playing a role in getting there?

Clarke didn’t think so. Her entire life was bound to her hands.

Her hands that could create fire. Hands that could melt steel and iron. Hands that could burn skin redder than the sun could.

What Lexa had said to her the night before hadn’t hit Clarke until Lexa went to sleep. Clarke had sat in her room, rolling a pencil on her desk back and forth with her finger, lost in thought.

She trusted both Jaha and Indra to work together with Lexa to diffuse whatever threat was coming at them. Should other leaders within the coalition be necessary, Clarke was certain that they would be passionate about protecting their people as well. Other clans had already offered Skaikru and Trikru aid with medicine. Should other clans be needed for manpower and for armies, that would mean that this threat had escalated to a large scale- a scale that Clarke wasn’t comfortable with.

Lexa had said last night that to be a leader meant to look into the eyes of her warriors and say to them, ‘Go die for me.’

Clarke’s powers put her in the unpleasant predicament of being bound to the law. Should war ever happen, Clarke’s life could potentially be put in danger for the sake of others.

Clarke would turn into one of those warriors which Lexa must look in the eye and ask to go die.

Clarke wondered if Lexa would really do that to her.

Clarke predicted that, at first, Lexa would keep her with the other blacksmiths. Clarke would work hard with her fire hands to maintain the supply of weapons that Lexa’s army would need.

But let’s say something unexpected happens. Or the clans turn on each other, siding with the enemy instead. Or the enemy is much more powerful than they could anticipate. A conduit with the ability to create balls of fire and explosions could be very useful on the battlefield.

Clarke shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself and was letting her thoughts unfairly undermine Lexa’s integrity. Should Lexa have to make a decision like that about Clarke, Clarke knew that it wouldn’t come easy.

The acid fog had scared everybody. With the former Commander dying so suddenly and people being afraid to step out into the woods, paranoia was present within the sky and tree people. Lexa’s explanation, while unconfirmed, had scared Clarke more than she had initially realized. Initially, she had felt shock. But as Clarke had sat and stewed, rolling the pencil to and fro, she began to understand the gravity of the danger that they were potentially in.

Eight people hadn’t returned from their mission and Lexa couldn’t get them back. Clarke had managed to soothe Lexa into sleep last night but now it was Clarke’s mind that was running in circles.

So many questions and so little answers.

Maybe Clarke did need her palm read after all.

Who knew what kinds of unexpected, funny, miserable things the fortune teller may have been able to prophesy?

=•==•==•===•====•

The 24 hours passed with no sign of the eight people that were missing. Lexa called the search parties back. She hadn’t sent them too close the mountain knowing that the closer they got to it, the more dangerous it was. Unfortunately, that also meant less of a chance at finding anyone. She wasn’t surprised when they came back empty handed.

She had radioed Indra and Jaha, steeling herself to be the bearer of unfortunate news. They agreed that announcements should be made in the morning in both Arkadia and TonDC to all their peoples. Lexa would be present for the announcements in TonDC but would also try to make herself available in Arkadia, should she be needed.

“Remember, even though we can only rely on assumptions at the moment, you have to be as informative as possible,” said Lexa to Indra and Jaha. “Until we have certainty, we must treat this as a worst-case scenario. This will keep us and our people alert. If we do not treat this with the upmost seriousness, we put our people in more danger.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Clarke’s gaze flickered over to the television in the Medbay as she noticed the usual broadcast of old sports games reruns suddenly switch to a video of Jaha. Clarke read the scrolling headline at the bottom of the screen and gulped.

**_An Urgent Message from Chancellor Thelonious Jaha_ **

“Greetings, people of Arkadia. I am speaking to you all today with unfortunate news.

Both our clan and our trusted neighbors, the Trikru, were shaken and disturbed at the death of our previous Commander due to a mysterious fog in our territories. Since then, this disastrous phenomenon that has rattled our people and our security has remained inexplicable and strange.”

Clarke stepped away from the television to look across the medical bay. Every patient, if they were conscious, had their eyes glued to the screen. Clarke let the rag that she was holding fall onto a tray and she jogged out of the room, into the halls. In the hallway, she still heard Jaha’s voice. It bounced from wall to wall, coming from different speakers. Reaching to her belt and changing the frequency on her radio to the public channel, she also heard Jaha’s announcement. She switched the radio off and returned to the medical bay, eyebrows furrowed and palms sweaty.

Jaha’s announcement meant that no one from the missing squad had made contact, in person or otherwise. Clarke was troubled because of the tragedy that had overcome people who used to be her neighbors and colleagues. She also feared what this meant for the future of her people.

“Commander Lexa’s speculations regarding Mount Weather match both my own and the chief of TonDC. In response to the disappearances that occurred 2 nights ago, we urge you all to move with increased caution when outside of Arkadia. I urge you to not go into the woods in search of your loved ones. I also plead you to not approach Mount Weather under any circumstances. I have also made the decision to increase the security outside of our gates and in the forest through more frequent patrols and a higher number of guards.

“I understand that this news may make you all feel unsafe. I understand that the lack of facts is unsettling. My main concern is the safety of our people. It has become a high priority to deal with this threat efficiently and intelligently. In this time, we must stand together as brothers and sisters with the members of Trikru. Together, I believe we can examine this threat and respond to it with calculated precision. We will inform you with updates as frequently as possible. I and the other members of the council welcome you to discuss and answer to this news with us. No one should be alone while these things are happening to and around us.

“Dark times are difficult for us all. To that I say, from the ashes we will rise.”

Clarke expected the broadcast to stop but instead, it looped right back to the beginning and played again. It looked like Jaha was going for full exposure and full transparency.

All around her patients and doctors in the Medbay started talking to each other and asking questions.

 

“Didn’t I tell you it was a chemical weapon, Joanne?”

 

“I thought Frank was just being crazy when he said that he heard that eight people disappeared overnight.”

 

“How long do you think they’ve known about the acid fog?”

“They should’ve told us sooner.”

“I’m sure they told us as soon as they could.”

 

“How are we going to move forward?”

 

“What can we do to help?”

 

“Clarke?” Clarke turned around at the sound of her name.

“Mom.”

Abby had approached her daughter after the closure of the first broadcast.

“Are you okay, honey?”

Clarke nodded. “I’m fine. Lexa told me the day before yesterday. Did you know?”

“I did. The council talked about Jaha’s announcement at length before he recorded it.”

“What do we do now?” Clarke looked at her mother concerned.

“Get Octavia and Murphy. Bring them to my room tonight.” Before Abby turned to get back to work she said, “I’ll bring Kane.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Lexa stood in front of the people of TonDC. She held her hands behind her back, her posture open, compassionate, and supportive. Anya, Gustus, and Indra stood at her sides.

She had made the announcement to the people of TonDC, but in a much more traditional manner than the Skaikru since the village didn’t possess the same electronics. She was experiencing the response directly and nothing that she heard surprised her.

 

“What are we supposed to do now?”

 

“My son didn’t come back home!”

 

“We should fight! Call the 13 clans together! Jomp in!” _Fight._

“Jomp in! Jomp in! Jomp in!”

A small group of warriors in the large crowd started to chant.

 

Lexa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was exactly these kinds of people who she expected to fail the Darwin Test first. Pea brained individuals whose first response to any problem was aggression, brute force, or violence. Should Lexa unsheathe her sword and bring her warriors to the Mount Weather doors, all she would be doing would be condemning her people to death. For as long as the acid fog existed, no one was getting close to the mountain.

She held her hands up for silence.

“Shof op!” _Be quiet._

The group quickly silenced, eagerly awaiting her next words.

She walked forward and gestured for the crowd to part for her. They made way for their Heda and she approached the group of men and women whose hearts beat unwisely for a fight.

She tilted her chin up, her hands still behind her back. Now her stance challenged, dared, and asserted. Her voice was firm.

“You desire a fight? Tell me. What is your plan for this gonplei? Is it your plan to grab at your throats as the air is drawn out from your lungs? Is it your plan to claw at the heels of your comrades as you watch them flee for their lives? Or, should you make it to the doors of the enemy, is it your plan to pry a 50-ton metal door open with just your bare hands?”

Some people in the crowd gulped. But they all hung onto every word.

Lexa stepped back and gestured to the way out with her arm.

“Please, be my guest. I will not withhold you from doing what you deem is right. But know that I did not send you. And I did not ask you to go. You can either fight with all of Trikru and all of Skaikru when _I_ decide, or you can go forth now and fight alone. The choice is yours. Your deaths will not be in vain as they will be an example to the rest of our people.”

Lexa turned on her heel and swiftly walked back to her previous position at the front of the crowd. She addressed them with a loud, booming voice. When she had spoken to the group of overeager warriors, her firm voice had aimed to reason. Now, it sought to evoke and to inspire.

“This threat cannot be underestimated. It cannot be approached with blazing guns and sharp swords. We must be tactful. We must be inquisitive. Successful problem solving is not done through rash decision making. It is achieved through wisdom. Should we charge at our enemy now, we would all succumb to pointless and futile deaths. Suspension does not mean inaction. Patience does not mean submission. I implore you to draw strength from each other. There are mothers longing for their sons. There are fathers longing for their daughters. I do not ignore your cries. I will answer them with compassion and with fortitude to rectify what has gone wrong and to ensure the safety of the 13 clans.

“Ai laik Heda. Ai ste yuj. Ste yuj kom ai.” _I am the Commander. I am strong. Be strong with me._

Lexa watched the crowd nod at her. She held her head tall and her ears twitched when she heard Anya shout.

“Jus drein jus daun!” _Blood must have blood._

A new, much louder chant erupted from the crowd and this time Lexa joined in and let it roll.

=•==•==•===•====•

Clarke, Octavia, and Murphy sat at the kitchen table in Abby’s private quarters in Arkadia, waiting for the older Griffin to arrive with Kane.

Octavia nodded to Murphy. “Are you okay with Kane finding out about you?”

Murphy shrugged and spun the coin in his hand on the table surface. “If he really is one of us then, fine by me.”

Clarke answered, “He is. That makes him 4.”

When Clarke and Octavia were children, they became friends but didn’t tell each other about their powers, not knowing how the other would react. But when Octavia’s mom died, followed by the death of Clarke’s father, they found a rare sense of solidarity and companionship in each other. Bonding over the loss of a parent increased the amount of trust between them. Eventually, they confided in each other and Abby took Octavia under her wing, helping to guide her as she grew up with unusual abilities.

Abby was the one to discover Murphy first. He was always rebellious. He didn't like to go home because of his alcoholic mom. One day when he was just a kid, a classmate started harassing him outside in the field. Murphy would never admit it but the words that the other boy threw at him had made him cry. When the boy turned his back to him, satisfied with his disses and insults, Murphy clenched his hands so hard that they hurt. A rock hurtled at the boy, seemingly from nowhere, and smacked him right in the temple.

When the kid yelled out, Murphy wiped his own tears away with the back of his hand and smirked.

Later while in the Medbay, the boy who had bullied Murphy told Dr. Griffin that Murphy had thrown a rock at him. Murphy argued that he couldn’t have done it since the rock must have come from the front or the side, and at the time Murphy had been standing behind the other boy. But there had been no one else and rocks didn’t just fall out of the sky. The boy left the Medbay, never really knowing what had happened to him. Abby, however, introduced Murphy to Clarke and they spent that day in her room playing cards. Murphy’s eyes had lit up just like the flame on the tip of Clarke’s finger when she put it to the queen of hearts. The fire engulfed the corner of the card, turning the paper to burnt, crisp ash. Later, he showed her that he could turn mud into quicksand.

Murphy had been the second conduit in Clarke’s life, the first being herself. Octavia was the third and now Kane was the fourth.

Keeping superpowers a secret was harder than it might sound at first. How do you explain to your doctor that you broke your arm because you slipped on an icy puddle, except it’s the middle of summer and the only reason why the puddle was frozen in the first place was because you froze it with your mind?

Octavia wore a cast on her arm for 6 weeks and the story that she went with was that she had fallen off a horse.

Eventually, the Griffins, Octavia, and Murphy all knew about each other and fortunately didn’t mind keeping a few secrets.

Just out in the hallway, Abby led Kane to her home. Kane still hobbled a bit. Despite his legs healing nicely, it took time to get back to top form.

“If it’s right by you, I’m going to introduce you to Arkadia’s other three conduits,” said Abby.

Kane did a double take. “Three conduits?”

“Yes. I think you’ll be surprised to find out who they are.”

Abby inputted the passcode into the key panel and the door to her quarters slid open.

Clarke, Murphy, and Octavia all looked up at the sound.

Kane walked into the room, looking at the teenagers sitting around the kitchen table.

Murphy lifted his hand in greeting. “What’s up?”

=•==•==•===•====•

Kane hadn’t been expecting anyone in particular but to think that he actually knew the three people in the room pretty well was not something he had predicted.

Facts rattled in the councilman’s brain, a database full of information about Arkadians.

Octavia Blake. Sister of Bellamy Blake and daughter of Aurora Blake, now deceased. Unknown father. Smart girl, fierce, and a little disobedient. Was homeschooled until her mother's death. 

John Murphy. Deceased father and alcoholic mother. Also smart, also brave, but much more rebellious. His behavior was chaotic. He was known as a troublemaker by everyone. Kane had even processed a few of Murphy’s prosecutions a few times. However, something in Murphy had started to shift when he met a girl named Emori from the desert region. Maybe he didn’t care much about his own life but caring about someone else gave him a sense of purpose. Kane wondered how it might be possible to cultivate and encourage that shift.

And finally, Clarke Griffin. Abby and Jake Griffin’s daughter. The best in her class in Arkadia. Excellent in all her studies, especially Earth Skills and Biology. Surprised everyone by abstaining from a career in medicine, instead, picking an apprenticeship in blacksmithing at age 15. At 16, she opened her own shop in the capital city, Polis.

Alongside that were the rumors about Clarke. In the past year, people started to whisper to each other about a young blonde girl who was sometimes seen with the Commander’s daughter.

 

“I heard the Princess went into that blacksmith’s shop and didn’t come out for _hours_.”

 

“It’s been weeks since we’ve heard anything new about the blacksmith and the Princess.”

“Maybe they had a fight.”

“Maybe the princess found someone else.”

 

“What does _she have_ that I don’t have?”

 

“Did you hear? Apparently, the blacksmith is from Skaikru.”

“ _Skaikru?_ Don’t be ridiculous, Sharen. The Skaikru don’t make tools. They make _tek_.” _Technology._

“The Skaikru girl makes good tools.”

“Blacksmiths use wood, fire, coal- gifts from the _Earth_. People whose ancestors who came from the sky don’t make tools, Sharen.”

“If you say so, Eeleen.”

 

Kane wasn’t sure about whatever Commander Lexa and Clarke Griffin were to each other. But he knew the importance and need for discretion. He never asked nor pried. Curiosity is what killed the cat, after all.

Kane and Abby took their places at the table.

Octavia spoke up, “Surprised to see us?”

Kane answered, “Just a bit. Let me guess. Fire?”

Octavia shook her head and pointed at Clarke. “Fire is over there.”

 _Ah. Blacksmithing_. Understanding dawned upon Kane.

Octavia pointed to herself. “I’m water.” She gestured to Murphy. “He’s earth.”

Murphy mumbled unenthusiastically, “Yay, rocks.”

With Kane being air, the four natural elements were present in the room. Those weren’t the only conduit powers that existed, but it felt like a completion of sorts. Like four puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

“Let’s get this conclave started,” said Abby.

“Yes. Let’s,” said Kane, taking charge. “So, we’re all different people but we have one thing in common.” Kane turned his gaze to the coin that Murphy was still spinning. Kane started to make a circular motion with his finger. Suddenly, the coin lifted off the table and spun in midair. Murphy looked at his floating coin with wide eyes.

Kane stilled his finger and the coin clattered onto the table before bouncing onto the floor.

Octavia asked, “How did you do that?”

“That was an air ball. I manipulated the air around the coin, trapping it in a revolving air current.” Kane sat back in his chair. “We all have powers. I think we need to stick together and watch out for each other. It’s a lonely world as a conduit. There’s not many of our kind. Should things get worse, we’ll need to be the strongest that we’ve ever been.”

Clarke narrowed her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I think we need to practice using our powers. We need to be able to take on any threats that come at us.”

“No offense, Kane,” said Octavia. “But water isn’t exactly something that can be practiced easily in secret.”

Murphy added, “Same with earth.” He gestured to Clarke. “Not all of us can use our powers every day in our jobs.”

Kane leaned towards Clarke. “How good are you with your powers?”

Clarke pursed her lips. “Good enough.”

She didn’t have to say for what.

Kane nodded. “It’s likely the Commander will put us on the front lines.”

Clarke shook her head. “Neither of us will get put there.”

Kane furrowed his brow. “Why not?”

“You’re a councilman. You’re too important.”

Kane chuckled. “I’m flattered that you think so much of me, Clarke. But if I could help save lives, _and_ I very well could, I think the Commander will value that more than my political position.”

Clarke frowned. “Save lives? How could you save lives with your powers?”

“Air is a more defensive power. I can conjure shields and deflect projectiles.”

Basically, Kane could do the opposite of what Clarke could do.

She felt something pull in her chest and tingle her fingertips. It felt a little like envy.

“What about you?” he asked.

“What?”

“Where will the Commander put you?”

“In the armory. And with the other blacksmiths.”

“Can you fight?”

Clarke shook her head. “I’m not trained. Even though I’m strong, I wouldn’t know how to use fire properly in battle.”

Kane sat back again. “It might not be a bad idea for us to train. I’m sure the Commander can set us up with a more private arrangement.”

Clarke made eye contact with her mom. “What do you think?”

“I agree with you. I don’t think the Commander would put you in a dangerous position, Clarke. With your…” _Relationship_. “Inexperience. Even so, it might not be a bad idea to prepare yourself. Just in case. You need to be able to protect yourself and the others around you, Clarke.”

Clarke nodded to herself at her mother’s reply.

“Well, I for one, don’t need to train my powers.” Octavia crossed her arms. “I’m already getting official warrior training from Indra.”

“Indra?” said Kane incredulously. “The Trikru chief?”

“That’s right.”

Kane tapped the table excitedly. “Think about the possibilities. You could be one of the most skilled warriors that we have if you mastered both combat with the sword and your water powers.”

“I don’t want to hurt someone with my powers, Kane.”

“What’s the difference? Whether you use a knife or your powers, the result is still the same.”

Octavia looked away and shook her head. “People already think that conduits are freaks. Next, they’ll call us murderers if I do what you’re saying.”

It’s no wonder Octavia was so determined to push her powers away. They didn’t live in a society that encouraged conduits to embrace their powers. That made Octavia maintain a mentality that made her feel like an outsider. The world kept telling her that her powers were the only thing that made her valuable. Only she never asked for them. She wanted to train with Indra to establish something for herself. She wanted to achieve something that came only through her own volition and determination.

Murphy said, “It’s not like we can hurl rocks, fire, or water at the fog to make it go away. The Commander should sort out the problem on her own. We aren't needed and there's nothing that we can do anyway."

Clarke said, “You're right for now. But we don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe we _should_ start thinking about 'training’ or whatever. But what I do know is that we’re a group. We need to support each other and each other’s decisions.”

Kane nodded in agreement. “I’m not saying we have to take action now. You all heard from Chancellor Jaha this morning that whatever situation we’re in is still very dubious. I just want you three to start thinking about it. Our futures are all tied to our powers and you know that.”

Clarke continued, “As for a secret training spot... I know a place. It's in Trikru territory and it's not far from here. There's a river, trees for cover, and bedrock. There's a cabin and beds."

"That sounds perfect," replied Kane. "Should things get worse, I want to be prepared."

Murphy shrugged. He was trying to come across as nonchalant but the way he bit the inside of his mouth showed that he was giving it thought. 

Octavia looked at her clasped hands on the table. She wasn't changing her mind for now. 

Clarke exchanged a look with her mom. Abby didn't like the thought of Clarke being  _used_ in Lexa's army any more than Clarke did. However, eight people left their homes and didn't return. The cause of their disappearance was still unknown. The next time any of them stepped into the woods, conduit or not, it could be their last. 

Clarke sighed. "Alright. Maybe you have a point, Kane. I just really hope you're wrong and things get better."

=•==•==•===•====•

Unfortunately, Kane was right.

And things got worse. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say 'exposition'?  
> Also, I'm sorry if Lexa's nightmare freaked you out. She's not gonna die. Ever. I wouldn't do that to you or me.  
> Let me in on your thoughts. Comments help me improve the story and help me know what you want which I try to incorporate where appropriate.


End file.
